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32 Ways To Write About Fear

Writers Write is a comprehensive writing resource. In this post, we have included 32 things for you to consider when you write about fear.

One of our most popular posts on Writers Write is 37 Ways To Write About Anger. We thought we would look at interesting ways to write about other emotions, including happiness and fear.

How do we write about fear in an authentic way?

Fear is a vital response for human beings. If we didn’t feel fear, we couldn’t protect ourselves from threats. Our bodies and brains are wired to treat threats as life-threatening. This triggers an extreme fight-flight-or-freeze response.

Our fears are not solely dependent on instinctive responses. They are also shaped by our societies and cultures, which teach people when to fear and how much to fear.

Sometimes, our fear is unnecessary and we avoid doing things that could be beneficial to us. Sometimes, facing danger can result in lingering responses that trigger us to act in a certain way, even when the risk is gone.

The same is true for the characters we create. When we write about fearful characters, we should remember to write about them in a realistic way.

Here are 32 things to consider when you write about fear:

A) Physical Reactions

When we are afraid, we have these reactions:

An accelerated breathing rate

An accelerated heart rate

Increased muscle tension

Goose bumps

Sweating

Increased blood glucose

Increased white blood cells

Sleep disturbances

Butterflies in the stomach

Difficulty concentrating

Difficulty swallowing

Dizziness

All of these responses help us to survive by either running away or fighting. Use these physical reactions to show your character is afraid.